Bukhara
Bukhara (;
Turkish:
Buhara;
Tajik: Бухоро; ,
Buxârâ; ; , ), from the
Sanskrit Vihara, is the fifth-largest city in
Uzbekistan, and
capital of the
Bukhara Province (
viloyat). It has a population of 237,900 (
1999 census estimate). Bukhara (along with
Samarkand) is one of the two major centres of Uzbekistan's
Tajik minority. The city was also known as
Bokhara in XIX century English and
Buhe/Puhe in Tang Chinese. [
1] Bukhara is also home to a large number of Jews, whose ancestors settled in the city during Roman times. The term '
Bukharan Jews' is frequently used to describe the indigenous Jews of Central Asia.
Introduction
Bukhara has been one of the main centres of
Iranian civilization during its history. Its architecture and archaeological sites form one of the pillars of the Persian history and art. The region of Bukhara was for a long period a part of the
Persian Empire. The origin of its inhabitants goes back to the period of
Aryan immigration into the region. Iranian
Soghdians inhabited the area and some centuries later the Persian language became dominant among them. The Last emir of Bukhara was
Muhammad Alim Khan (
1880-
1944). The
Trans-Caspian railway was built through the city in the late
19th century. The historic center of Bukhara has been listed by
UNESCO as one of the
World Heritage Sites. It contains numerous
mosques and
madrassas.
Legends
According to the Iranin epic poem
Shahnama the city was founded by King
Siavush son of Shah Kavakhous, one of the mythical Iranian Shahs of the Pishdak Dynasty. As the legend goes Siavush was accused of seducing his mother by the Vizers. To test his innocence he underwent trial by fire. After emerging unscathed from the flames he crossed the Oxus into Turan. The king of
Samarkand Afrosiab, gave Siavash his daughter Ferganiza and a vassal kingdom in the Bukhara Oasis. There he built the Ark, and surrounding city. Some years later Siavash was again accused of seducing his father-in-law's wife. Afrasiab killed Siavash, and buried his head under the Haysellers Gate. In retaliation Shah Kavakhous attacked Turan killed Afrasiab, and took his son and daughter-in-law back to
Persia.
Origin
The city was founded in 500 BC in the area now called the ark. But the Bukhara oasis had been inhabitated long before that, since 3000 BC an advanced bronze age culture thrived at such sites as Varakhsha, Vardan, Paykend, and Ramitan. In 1500 BC the drying to the climate triggered a population shift to the oasis from outlying areas. In conjunction with this migration Indo-European tribes moved in from the Eurasian steppe. Together they lived in villages along the shores of a dense lake and wetland area in the Zervashan Fan (the Zervanshan River had ceased draining to the Oxus). By 1000 BC both groups had merged into a distinctive culture. Around 800 BC this new culture who called themselves Soghdian flourished in iron-age city-states in the Zaravshan valley. By this time the lake had silted up and three fortified settlements were built atop. By 500 BC these settlements had grown together and were enclosed by a wall, thus Bukhara was born.
Pre-Islamic Era
Bukhara was a vassal state in the Persian, Hellenistic, and Kushan Empires. During this time Bukhara became a center of trade. To some extent this was inspired by the monthly idol market. approximately once a lunar cycle, the inhabitants of the zeravshan delta region exchanged their old idols of the goddess Anahita for new ones. This trade festival took place in front of the Mokh temple, in Bukhara. After the fall of the Kushan Emprie, Bukhara passed into the hands of Hua tribes who merged into the native population.
Encyclopedia Iranica mentions that the name Bukhara is possibly derived from the
Soghdian βuxārak.
[Encyclopedia Iranica, Columbia University, p.512]Another possible source of the name Bukhara may be from "
Vihara", the sanskrit word for monastery and may be linked to the pre-Islamic presence of
Buddhism (especially strong at the time of the Kushan empire) originating from the Indian sub-continent.
Zoroastrianism (originating in ancient Persia) was also another religious belief system with a strong pre-Islamic presence.
Islamic Era
The Arabs invaded in 750 AD, later Bukhrara became the capital of the
Samanid Empire.
Islam became the dominant religion at this time and remains the dominant religion to the present day.
Modern Era
Following the break up of the
Soviet Union, the
Tajiks, who were then part of the Uzbekistan province, pushed for independence. The Russians, who supported the
Uzbeks over Tajiks, gave the traditionally and linguistically
Iranic cities of Bukhara and
Samarkand to Uzbekistan.
Ismail Samani mausoleum
The
Ismail Samani mausoleum (9th-10th century), one of the most esteemed sights of
Central Asian architecture, was built in the 9th century (between
892 and
943) as the resting-place of
Ismail Samani - the founder of the
Samanid dynasty, the last
Persian dynasty to rule in Central Asia, which held the city in the 9th and 10th centuries. Although in the first instance the Samanids were Governors of
Khorasan and
Ma wara'u'n-nahr under the suzerainty of the
Abbasid Caliphate, the dynasty soon established virtual independence from
Baghdad.
Lyab-i Hauz
The
Lyab-i Khauz Ensemble (1568-1622) is the title given to the area surrounding one of the few remaining
Hauz or ponds surviving in the city of
Bukhara. Until the
Soviet period there were many such ponds, which were the city's principal source of water, but they were notorious for spreading disease and were mostly filled in during the 1920s and 30s. The Lyab-i Hauz survived because it is the centrepiece of a magnificent architectural ensemble, created during the 16th and 17th centuries, which has not been significantly changed since. The Lyab-i Hauz ensemble consists of the
Kukeldash madrasah (1568-1569) (
see picture), the largest in the city, and of two religious edifices built by Nadir Divan-Begi: A
Khanaka (1620) (
see picture) - a Khanaka is a lodging-house for itinerant Sufis - and a
Madrasah (1622) (
see picture) that stand at right angles to each other.
The title Po-i-Kalyan
(also Poi Kalyan
), which means "The foot of the Great", belongs to the architectural complex located at the foot of the great minaret Kalyan.
* Kalyan minaret
. The minaret made in the form of a circular-pillar brick tower, narrowing upwards, of 9 meters (29.53 feet) diameter at the bottom, 6 meters (19.69 feet) overhead and 45.6 meters (149.61 feet) high.
* Kalyan Mosque
(Maedjid-i kalyan), arguably completed in 1514, is equal with Bibi-Khanym Mosque in Samarkand in size. Although they are of the same type of building, they are absolutely different in terms of art of building.
* Mir-i Arab Madrassah'''. There is little known about the Mir-i Arab Madrasah origin. The construction of Mir-i-Arab Madrasah is ascribed to Sheikh Abdullah Yamani of Yemen, the spiritual mentor of early
Shaybanids. He disputably was in charge of donations of Abdullah-khan (1512-1533), devoted to construction of religion edifice.
See also a total list of Bukhara sights.Bukhara AirportBeing a cultural magnet, Bukhara has long appeared in much local and
Persian literature. Many examples can be sought.
ای بخارا شاد باش و دیر زی
Oh
Bukhara! Joy to you and live long!
شاه زی تو میهمان آید همی
Your King comes to you in ceremony.
---RudakiDehkhoda for defines the name
Bukhara itself as meaning "full of knowledge", referring to the fact that in antiquity, Bukhara was a scientific and scholarship powerhouse.
Rumi verifies this when he praises the city as such:
آن بخارا معدن دانش بود
"
Bukhara was a mine of knowledge,
پس بخاراییست هرک آنش بود
Of Bukhara is he who possesses knowledge."
*
Ibn Sina*
Zamakhshari*
Bukhari*
An Lushan*
Santa Fe, New Mexico,
USA*
Audio interview with Bukhara resident about life in Bukhara.*
Moorcroft, William and
Trebeck, George. 1841. Travels in the Himalayan Provinces of Hindustan and the Panjab; in Ladakh and Kashmir, in Peshawar, Kabul, Kunduz, and Bokhara... from 1819 to 1825, Vol. II. Reprint: New Delhi, Sagar Publications, 1971.
Image:Prokudin-Gorskii-16.jpg|Study of a Stork's Nest at the top of a palace wall, before 1915Image:bukhara_city_skyline.jpg|City skyline of Bukhara, dominated by the Kalyan minaretImage:bukhara_ark.jpg|Arq fortress walls, home to the Khans of BukharaImage:bukhara_poi_kalon.jpg|A view from the inside of the Po-i Kalyan mosque, showing the Kalyan minaretImage:bukhara_chor_minor.jpg|Chor Minor, the gatehouse to a now-disappeared madrasahImage:Bokhara1909.jpg|Entrance to the emir's palaceImage:Prokudin-Gorskii-19.jpg|Alim Khan (1880-1944), last emir of BukharaImage:bukhara01.jpg|The Kalyan minaret (photo 2003).Image:bukhara10.jpg|Arq fortress panoramic (photo 2003).Image:bukhara14.jpg|Samanids mausoleum (between 892 and 943) (photo 2003).Image:bukhara03.jpg|Mir-i Arab madrasah (photo 2003).Image:bukhara15.jpg|City gate Talipoch (photo 2003).Image:bukhara07.jpg|Chor Minor madrasah (photo 2003).Image:bukhara16.jpg|Trade couple Tagi Zargaron 16-th century (photo 2003).Image:bukhara02.jpg|Piscine for harem in palace (1912-1918) of Amir Sitorai Mokhi Khossa near Bukhara (photo 2003).Image:bukhara12.jpg|The Kalyan minaret (photo 2003).
